Throughout William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Hamlet portrays what Sigmund Freud calls the Oedipal Complex. When the relationship between Hamlet and his mother is analyzed, Freud's Oedipal complex theory comes to mind. The Oedipal complex is a theory created by Freud that states that the child takes both of its parents, and more particularly one of them, as the object of its erotic wishes. Because of this desire to be with the parent of the opposite sex, a rivalry is formed with the parent of the same sex. In the play, Hamlet shows great hostility toward his uncle Claudius, his male opponent. Hamlet sees his mother's remarriage as a disgusting act of betrayal and sees murdering Claudius as a way of freeing his mother of an incestuous marriage as well as avenging his father. Hamlet and his mother's relationship are also shown as more sexual than the traditional mother son relationship because of Hamlet's language and private interaction with his mother.

Hamlet's inner monologues reveal much about what he is feeling and also aids in understanding the nature of the Oedipal complex within the character. Aspects of the Oedipal complex can be seen Hamlet's first soliloquy where Hamlet speaks to himself, revealing his personal expression of pain and suffering. The main cause of Hamlet's torment is the remarriage of his mother to his uncle and not the death of his father. When Hamlet says: "With such dexterity to incestuous sheets! It is not, nor it cannot come to good. / But break my heart, for I must hold my tongue" (1.2. 157-9), he is disgusted by his mother's affection toward Claudius because he believes it is incestuous. It can also be deduced the Hamlet is more concerned with the marriage of his mother than the death of his father. Unconsciously, Hamlet believes that because his father is dead, all his competition is gone and Claudius marrying his mother does not fit in with what Hamlet wants - taking his object of desire...

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...Character Relationships for "Hamlet"
Character: Claudius
Claudius's Introduction in the story:
Act 1, Scene 2, commences with Claudius holding court. He quickly dispenses with the memory of King Hamlet, asserting his position as the new leader of Denmark with decisive authority.
Claudius's dismissal from the story:
Claudius dies at Hamlet's hand: "Here, thou incestuous, (murd'rous,) damned Dane, Drink off this potion. Is (thy union) here? (Forcing him to drink the poison.) Follow my mother. (King dies.) (5.2.356-58)
Claudius's relationship with HamletHamlet and Claudius have an antagonistic relationship. ". . . from the very beginning, his [Hamlet] struggle with Claudius has been conceived as a struggle for the control of language--a battle to determine what can and cannot be uttered" (Neill 316). "Obviously, Hamlet deeply resents Claudius referring to him as his son" (Lowers 20).
Claudius's relationship with Laertes
"Claudius and Laertes plot to rid themselves of young Hamlet" (Bevington xix).
Claudius's relationship with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern . . . are boyhood friends of Hamlet, but are now dependent on the favor of King Claudius. Despite their seeming concern for their one-time comrade,...

...Psychoanalytical approach in Hamlet
The presence of id,ego,and supergo are reoccurring, shadowed themes within the characters of shakespeare’s play,Hamlet. our selfish, realistic, and moral thoughts, known by creator Freud as id,ego,and superego, can be reflected through the story of Hamlet in natural ways. Moreover, The id is the part of the mind in which innate instinctive impulses and primary processes and manifest. The id operates according to the pleasure principle, the psyche force that motivates the tendency to seek immediate gratification of any impulse. It also contains the libido. On the contrary, the ego is a person’s sense of self esteem or self iimportance. The ego acts according to the reality principle; it seeks to please the id’s drive in realistic ways that will benefit in the long term rather than bring gries. The in between supergo and id. Supergo is the part of the person’s mind that acts as a self critical conscience, reflecting social standards learned from parents and teachers. The super-ego aims for perfection. It includes the individuals ego ideals, spiritual goals, and the psychic agency that critizes and prohibits his or her drives,fantasies,feelings,and actions. Also, it controls our sense of right and wrong and guilt. It helps us fit into society by getting us to act in socially acceptable ways.
Hamlet has been praised and revered for centuries as one of...

...its peak in the 1940’s and 1950’s. His widespread recognition stemmed from Freudian concepts such as the Oedipal complex, which came from his book An Interpretation of Dreams written in 1899. This theory developed by Freud says that at a very young age a child can generate an intense feeling of love for the parent of opposite sex, and an almost extreme dislike for the other parent. Freud had a great interest in literature which he often to create a much more clear picture of his theories. His greatest attachment through literature was by reading and analyzing the tragedy Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Here he explained the attachment of the theories of Oedipus complex, and Hamlets character in the story.
In the play Hamlet, Hamlet is presented as the prince of Denmark who had just returned from school upon hearing of the death of his father. To add to this horrible news of his father death he is also informed that not only did his father’s brother inherit the throne, but he is also remarrying hismother Gertrude. Hamlet has an extremely hard time accepting that hismother was able to replace his father so shortly after his death. This is what people believe brought out the reserved feelings of the Oedipus Complex...

...Hamlet and key relationships
In Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, the Shakespearian hero is undoubtedly the most compelling character. He is dynamic, complex and, through his soliloquies, we are provided with most of the thematic content in Hamlet. However, it is not just Hamlet’s soliloquies that develop his character and establish the thematic content; the secondary characters that surround him, and, morehisrelationships and interactions with them provide us with just as much to digest as Hamlet’s private meditations. Hamlet and Laertes mirror each other in many important ways, creating a complex thematic scene and establishing a parallel story with interesting implications; Hamlet’s choices concerning hismother, as well as the dialogue that the two of them engage in, constitute a veritable hero-test, demonstrating the strength of Hamlet’s virtue; Hamlet’s actions and words with respect to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern represent a significant arc for Hamlet, and his eventual plotting to kill them speaks volumes about a crucial part of his character. We also perceive brave Hamlet’s relentless search for reality uncovering and unveiling the countless number of questions trapped inside him. This shows the struggle displays the power of Claudius and the unmistakable sense of...

...Oedipal Relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude
Throughout William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Shakespeare portrays Hamlet with the same types of behaviors and frustrations in humans that Sigmund Freud saw at a much later date. When the relationship between Hamlet and hismother is analyzed Freud's oedipal complex theory comes to mind.
Sigmund Freud first wrote abouthis theory in his book An Interpretation of Dreams in 1899. Simply put, Freud states that it is normal for children to have sexual desires for their parent of the opposite sex. He says that it is also normal to have feelings of hatred for the other parent that is of the same sex as the child. Most children experience these feelings between the ages of three and five, after which the feelings go away or in some individuals become deeply suppressed. Those that carry on these feelings into adulthood are considered to have an Oedipus Complex.The oedipal complex is a theory created by Freud that states that "The child takes both of its parents, and more particularly one of them, as the object of its erotic wishes."(51) Because of this desire to be with the parent of the opposite sex, a rivalry is formed with the parent of the same sex. In the play, Hamlet shows great hostility toward his uncle Claudius because his mother's...

...Hamlet is a tragedy and one of the most famous plays by William Shakespeare. The story is about the revenge of Prince Hamlet on his uncle Claudius, who has murdered Hamlet’s father, the King, and then taken the throne and married Hamlet’s mother. In this play, Gertrude is Hamlet's mother and Queen of Denmark. Her relationship with Hamlet is somewhat turbulent, since he resents her for marrying her husband's brother Claudius after he murdered the King (young Hamlet's father, King Hamlet).
Gertrude is first seen in Act 1 Scene 2 as she tries to comfort Hamlet about the death of his father, begging him to stay at home rather than going back to Wittenberg. Her worries on him continues into the second act, as she sides with King Claudius in sending Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to raise the spirits of her son. Also, rather than ascribing Hamlet's madness to Ophelia's rejection, she believes the cause is his father, King Hamlet's death and her quick remarriage to Claudius: "I doubt it is no other but the main; His father's death and our o'erhasty marriage." In the next act, Gertrude tells Claudius about Polonius' murder. She tries to convince him that Hamlet is truly mad; she also shows true compassion and affection when she watches Ophelia sings and acts in absolute madness. At Ophelia's burial,...

...Akshay Koshy
ENG3U1-01
Mr. Filiputti
January, 16, 2012
Hamlet- The classic Tragic Hero
“A hero is a man who does what he can.”
Romain Rolland
What is a tragic hero? Are tragic heroes considered to have better qualities, and yet suffer from the many shortcomings of life? I believe that a classic tragic hero is a person that has many excellent qualities for a hero, and yet dies due to the mistakes that he makes. As Romain said, “A hero is a man who does what he can” and Hamlet is a perfect example on how he had to give up everything to commit to his revenge. This is why I believe Hamlet is the perfect classic tragic hero, because although he did not do anything that was wrong, he still suffered and died because of his characteristics. This is why I believe that the seven soliloquies of Hamlet, show the progression of his characteristics, and show the multiple qualities of a hero, thus making him a perfect example of a classic tragic hero.
The first soliloquy in Hamlet (Act I, Scene II), talks about the suffering that Hamlet is going through as he realizes that his father is dead and hismother has married his uncle.
“But two months dead! — nay, not so much, not two:
So excellent a king; that was, to this,
Hyperion to a satyr;” (I. II. 137-140)
Hamlet doesn’t get...

..."Hamlet shows us no admirable human relationships." Discuss, supporting your views with detailed evidence from the play.
"We are arrant knaves, all..." Hamlet, written by the ever observant William Shakespeare, certainly seems to prove this true. Embroiled in corruption, Denmark the "prison" is barely the place for admirable relationships to flourish. Any claim that "Hamlet shows us no admirable humanrelationships," would therefore, on the surface, be mostly justifiable. The play's four kinds of relationships: in blood, in name, in romance, and in friendship, reflect the rotten state from which they spring. Hamlet's mother disregards his grief, Polonius disregards his daughter's love for Hamlet, Hamlet uses Ophelia, Claudius values power over his wife, and Hamlet plots his friends' deaths. Admirable relationships where mutual trust, respect, loyalty, and selflessness are key values shared between human beings are few and far between in Hamlet. The only relationship which comes close in Hamlet is the friendship between the Danish prince and humble Horatio. This gloomy reality not only reinforces central thematic concerns such as corruption, but also justifies Hamlet's brutal actions. Most importantly however,...